On paper, this series has a lot to make it distinct; the elaborate backstory, the combination of Science Fantasy and All Myths Are True, the fantastical fights and complex politicking... but it never really comes together properly.
I'll start by saying I don't think this is a bad series, per se. It's never exactly boring, but I seldom feel all that invested. The cast doesn't feel all that well-developed, the political maneuvering often feels like a series of Info Dumps, and it doesn't help that the main characters' goal is to stop an apocalypse, but there's little evidence as to what such an apocalypse is going to be or even how they're going to get it.
The fights aren't bad, exactly, and some of the characters have interesting concepts, though it feels like they could've done more with the whole "basing characters (in-universe) off of historical figures" conceit. And the Armors of Deadly Sin, the Plot Coupon-s the heroes are trying to collect, almost never seem to actually live up to their supposed strength as magical superweapons that define the international balance of power. I say "almost" because one of the few times they do comes at the very end of Season 2.
There's a definite aspect of ecchi in this show, which... I don't think really helped. I like large breasts as much as the next heterosexual guy, but the show's overt horniness doesn't feel all the titillating.
The plot of the marginalized Japanese fighting back against the evil European countries does give the whole thing a note of nationalism, though it's nowhere near as pronounced as, say, Gate.
The villains of Season 1, Innocencius and Gallileo, are pretty lame. They can't fight, they're not good at scheming, they're too incompetent to be threatening but they don't get a big enough comeuppance to feel all that satisfying. One of the ways Season 2 improved was by introducing better antagonists in England and Tres Espana, who are both more complex and more compelling. I actually found myself Rooting for the Empire during the battle between Japan and Spain.
So, is this show worth watching? Eh, maybe if you're really into the concept you'll like it. It's a fantasy anime that's at least trying to tell a grand story instead of being a naked power fantasy, the way a lot of modern fantasy anime seem to be. Just be aware that two seasons are far from the full story, and I'm not sure if the rest of the books will ever be animated.
Literature Weirdly Forgettable
On paper, this series has a lot to make it distinct; the elaborate backstory, the combination of Science Fantasy and All Myths Are True, the fantastical fights and complex politicking... but it never really comes together properly.
I'll start by saying I don't think this is a bad series, per se. It's never exactly boring, but I seldom feel all that invested. The cast doesn't feel all that well-developed, the political maneuvering often feels like a series of Info Dumps, and it doesn't help that the main characters' goal is to stop an apocalypse, but there's little evidence as to what such an apocalypse is going to be or even how they're going to get it.
The fights aren't bad, exactly, and some of the characters have interesting concepts, though it feels like they could've done more with the whole "basing characters (in-universe) off of historical figures" conceit. And the Armors of Deadly Sin, the Plot Coupon-s the heroes are trying to collect, almost never seem to actually live up to their supposed strength as magical superweapons that define the international balance of power. I say "almost" because one of the few times they do comes at the very end of Season 2.
There's a definite aspect of ecchi in this show, which... I don't think really helped. I like large breasts as much as the next heterosexual guy, but the show's overt horniness doesn't feel all the titillating.
The plot of the marginalized Japanese fighting back against the evil European countries does give the whole thing a note of nationalism, though it's nowhere near as pronounced as, say, Gate.
The villains of Season 1, Innocencius and Gallileo, are pretty lame. They can't fight, they're not good at scheming, they're too incompetent to be threatening but they don't get a big enough comeuppance to feel all that satisfying. One of the ways Season 2 improved was by introducing better antagonists in England and Tres Espana, who are both more complex and more compelling. I actually found myself Rooting for the Empire during the battle between Japan and Spain.
So, is this show worth watching? Eh, maybe if you're really into the concept you'll like it. It's a fantasy anime that's at least trying to tell a grand story instead of being a naked power fantasy, the way a lot of modern fantasy anime seem to be. Just be aware that two seasons are far from the full story, and I'm not sure if the rest of the books will ever be animated.